The Kansas City Chiefs depth chart lists Kendrell Bell as their starting right outside linebacker.

But with Game 1 of the NFL's regular season less than three weeks away, the former Pittsburgh Steeler has yet to take part in contact drills.

While the oft-injured Bell hopes to answer the bell on opening day, his inactivity has given another first-year Chief linebacker a chance to display his talents. And so far, Kris Griffin is making the most of his opportunity.

In Saturday's 24-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at Arrowhead Stadium, the former Rochester High School star started in Bell's spot.

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There's a chance Bell, the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2001, may play Saturday when K.C. hosts the Seattle Seahawks. But if he doesn't, Griffin could make his second straight start.

The kid who started his college career at NAIA Geneva College and finished it at NCAA Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania is playing like he belongs in the NFL.

"Yeah, I can play in this league," Griffin said. "When I first got here, I knew I could play. I just didn't know how I'd match up (against professional players). But so far, I'm holding my own."

With two mandatory cuts coming up soon, it may be too early to definitively say Griffin will earn a spot on the Chiefs' final 53-man roster. At the least, he's a prime candidate for the eight-man practice squad.

But according to Scott Dochterman, a sports reporter who covers the Chiefs for the St. Joseph (Mo.) Free Press, Griffin will survive the final cut.

"I would say he is going to make the team," Dochterman said. "He's been solid. He's impressed all his coaches. They like this kid a lot."

On the Chiefs' depth chart, Griffin is actually listed as the third-string right outside linebacker. Listed as Bell's backup is Keyaron Fox. But in K.C.'s first preseason game, Fox pulled his hamstring muscle and didn't dress for the game against Arizona.

In most team drills this week, it's been Griffin who's been running with the first-team defense.

"I did OK (against Arizona)," Griffin said. "It was good to get that kind of experience. The game is much faster when you're going against the (first-team) ones. I held my own. I wasn't out of my league. I want to keep building off that."

Last spring, a few NFL teams hinted that they might take Griffin in one of the later rounds of the NFL Draft. At the least, those teams indicated that they'd invite Griffin to camp as a free agent if he wasn't drafted. Those teams included the Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants.

But the Chiefs, thanks to strong recommendations from scout Cornell Gowdy who played cornerback for the Steelers in 1987-88, signed Griffin immediately after the draft.

"As an agent, you have to be careful where you send a client (who's an undrafted free agent)," said Eddie Edwards Jr., who partners in a sports management business with former Steeler cornerback Dwayne Woodruff.

"Our goal for Kris was to find a place for him where he could play for years to come in the NFL. And we thought Kansas City presented the best opportunity. I'm telling you, keep an eye on this kid."

Defensively, the Chiefs need all the help they can get. Last year they boasted the league's most potent offense. Still, they were usually outscored because their defense, ranked 31st overall, couldn't stop anybody. A team that many predicted would go to the Super Bowl finished 7-9.

So the priority during the off-season was to rebuild the defense. The Chiefs got a new defensive coordinator. They drafted Derrick Johnson, a linebacker from Texas, in the first round. They acquired Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain from the Miami Dolphins via free agency. They also got Bell in the free-agent market.

If and when Bell gets healthy, the Chiefs expect him to be an impact player.

But in the meantime, Griffin is making the most of his opportunity.

If Griffin makes the Chiefs' final roster and plays on opening day, he'll be the first Rochester grad to play in the NFL since Vito "Babe" Parilli, who played in the AFL and NFL in the 1950s and '60s.